Composition for freshening air and method therefor



' freshening ofthe air is efliected.

Patented Oct. 24, 1950 aaszmzo I 1.00MPSI' IIONF6R F RESHENING AIR ANDMETHQD THEREFOR '(iroy hermanylas hal, hQo aJEIat ass gh'or t Airkem,jlnc new York, lL'Y., acoi-pcration of I NewYork so Drawing. monium .12Josef ScrialNo. 684,237 a 14 Claims.

The invention ate toiofm tho mesh nin air and to a composit on the eforMo e particularly, it pertains to theffreshening of air co fl spaoe aninc udes corr l ted impr vem nts. and discov ries whereby a ia s d (Cl.l s .24)

" u n th word fresh hih Ihave ih mind the id a w ch is gested by th w riire' h indiametrical oppo's'itionto the idea conveyed by'jthe .wordstale when used toadoscribe the condition of an indoor atmosphere. f havl d t a here a e a h mbo' o nherent b'aSic odors common "to 'all' foressoil. Whereas forest soils of varying geographical locations havecharacteristics peculiar .to the locale, l have determined that thereexists in addition to, these characteristic odors of individual 10-cales; a groupof odors which exists inal forest soils. v 1 I When thosesubstances which are responsible for the common forestsoil undertonewere eigtracted from the forest'soil, it was found that this extractiveupon being dispersed into vitiated' indoor atmosphere definitelyimproved thengual-g ity of that latmosphere in that it was observed thatit was more agreeableto the senses breathing than before suchvaDOrswereintro duced. An. object of the invention is the provision of amethod in accordance with which air .is improved or freshened by contactwitha compe s sition containin a composite extractive of, forest' Isoil. The expression composite extractive as used herein in thespecification and claims means an extractive containing the componentsremoved from the pforest soil by a solventwithout sirb sequent treatmentfor modification orfifipara'tion of the constituents. 4

Another object of the invention is tqprovide a method whereby air, moreespecially vitiated air, may be restored by dispersing into the air asolution containing a composite extractive of forest soil per se and inconjunction with other components. 7

zffurther object of the invention is theprovision of a method andacomposition for the treatment of air that may be applied readily,efliciently, and economically o a desired extent, and which is welladapted for lutilizationin air ondi n tems- 7 An additional object 01'the invention is the provision of'an air freshenin'g composition ofmatter containing a composite extractiveofzforest soil, such extractivebeing utilized either singly r i comp tible admi tures vandalsoiin com.-

blnatlon with another or other constituents;

,7 2 A particular j ct f rid i oshehihs omposi n of matter oonta h hg .acomposite extractive of f r s ci- 'f iv e..,the}p tly decayed ve etablematter on the. forest .tioor.. j f .,Qthor ob1i.ects of the invention wll i pa b obvious and Wjillin par-t appear hereinafter.

The inte tion a cord n ly -.compr se.s the several steps, and the reationf o e o o such steps with respect thelcomposition possessing thefeatures and prop-v citi s wh h are. e e p fied in th f llowingd'etailed d o osure,. and the scope of the invent will be indicated inthe claims.

. lathe prac ce of the v ntio s -fresho lhs 1 l. of ai -may b ompl he byo tac g he,

a r mor loa tiou rly t at. i c nfin d spa es as places of a ita i recr oand whose mom. w th a oomp s t ohoontaini s c po te extractive-oi Iestsoil- T e e t s l y e v ious. looms. modified plant sub ta e,i restdu humus. and th like, and s ar -oxtra tcd with a relatively volatileorganic solvent.

n one'particnlarly onehaving a boiling point from about tooahoutlom C..Th extra t ve molo sd. Q0I @i $..-?;1 -0f that whi h s ob ined y theextraction process from -the forest soil by the solvent, and when suchtotal extractive is oohtacted as by d s er ng. th ai wh ch has becomevitiated, the quality thereof is markedly mpr ved. thatis ireshenedhodsp rs ay be reflected by spraying into a r; .by c n a n air withanabsorptive material impregnated with the solution so produced, or bycontact. with-a wick partially immersed in the solution.

.Furtherthe extractive maybe-utilized by dispersingitrinto an atmospherewithout any ad-' ditional pr ou tr a m nt. t a is tho tractive isemployed-as it is obtained by treating l forest l lw th a su tabl so et. Howevon t is sometimes desirable to remove the solvent, and whfinthis condition pertains, the solvent may be removed 'by distillation.The residue so obtained may then be taken up in another sol-K vent, and{or this purpose it. has been found; that a deodor-i-zed kerosene base,or an aqueous @hm io nor a zslyooi' s ethy en g ycol, trithviene-elycoandlthe ethers the eof gives satisfactory results.

Another advantage attendin the removal of he solvent -l's that undercertain conditions the adaptation-thereof in air freshening is more,practicable, and anyconsiderations relative to,

and th like are are" moved.

Various solvents y be used for the extraction.

the invention to pro-.

to e ch of the oth rs, a d

' imjp'ortant that thejextrac't'ion' be conducted with mention moreespecially being made of ethyl alcohol, methyl alcohol, methyl ethylketone, acetone, petroleum ether, benzene, toluene, xylene, and thelike.Extraction of the 'forest soil may be sb. there i an? quickly erated -fo's' t soil, M 3 u ff'iin' solverit and agitating "until eXtFactioni'scompleted? solid and liquid are then separated in a suitable manner, andthe extract thus produced may be which the invention may be practicedthe followin description is prese n'ted. As a forestsoil matel" 112a; a

Pf v the 'opperof'a le ee 9. a. 1. 9 1 at a' 'composite extractiveofforest "soi abovestated,maybe-utilized in'the fo I it is produced bycontacting" *air 'directl th with", (yr-"the solution may be first freedfrom ex tractionfsolvent and the residu t u' another solvent 'or bas'e fr As' 'indicated irfith f re'gbmf 'descr-rp 1 freshly gatheredforestfsoil inasmuch as thefi ing has-been"th" ubsjtahtial' chem'ica 'chtak'e's' plac'e' qli' kl 1 v the material which r in'gJthe proces ofmaceration for ear c'tio deleterious change in -the "essentiaLfconstituen of th'e forest soil is definitelydiminishe'd:

. The: proportions; 011' a s'olid weight' bas-i which thecompositeextractive is maintained air are subject t0 'v'a'ria'ti'on asfrom abeu't' compounds, being employed.

contacting :of air-' whereby conipo'sitiofi' placed in when in liquidform as a solu tion, Y

* v defined p such contact can be accomplis tion may be dispersed intothe air by flowing the air over a body of the solution or by spraying orotherwise introducing the solution into the air. The term solution asused herein includes true a d ompositions whereinoneor more e ts mayfinelyjl dispersed con- Furthermore, the composition may be absorbed "oradsorbed within or upon a suitable carrier or surfaceiwithwhichzthe airto be freshened is conatacteuz The foregoing method in conjunction withthe 'ositiorissetjfiorth leads to a distinctive improvementinthje'jcondition of air, particularly of that in a confined space. It hasbeen my finding hatthe' ingr'edients. above mentioned when disers'edinto air impart an invigorating quality thereto, and have a distinctivefreshening efiect I upon the air and upon those breathing such air.

ey. mpart, individual breathing the bnith j by d e a c cu at ngconfditio mean- 5 of an absorptii .1 the solution.

I modifications in the i i y ie m in han esi n car in out t f boyspecific features of the invention herein described, and all statementof the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might besaid to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A method for freshening indoor vitiated air which comprisescontacting air with a composition containing a composite extractive offorest soil, said composite extractive having been prepared by treatingforest soil directly with an extractant selected from the groupconsisting of low boiling alcohol, ketone and hydrocarbon extractantsand without subsequent modification.

2. A method for freshening indoor vitiated air which comprisesdispersing a composition containing a composite extractive of forestsoil into air, said composite extractive having been prepared bytreating forest soil directly with an extractant selected from the groupconsisting of low boiling alcohol, ketone and hydrocarbon extractantsand without subsequent modification.

3. A method for freshening indoor vitiated air which comprisesdispersing a composition containing a composite extractive of forestsoil into air in a confined space, said composite extractive having beenprepared by treating forest soil directly with an extractant selectedfrom the group consisting of low boiling alcohol, ketone and hydrocarbonextractants and without subsequent modification.

4. A method for freshening indoor vitiated air which comprisesdispersing a solution containing a composite extractive of forest soilinto air, said composite extractive having been prepared by treatingforest soil directly with an extractant selected from the groupconsisting of low boiling alcohol, ketone and hydrocarbon extractantsand without subsequent modification.

5. A method for freshening indoor vitiated air which comprisesdispersing a solution containing a composite extractive of forest soilinto air by spraying, said composite extractive having been prepared bytreating forest soil directly with an extractant selected from the groupconsisting of low boiling alcohol, ketone and hydrocarbon extractantsand without subsequent modification.

6. A method for freshening indoor vitiated air which comprisesdispersing a solution containing a composite extractive of forest soilinto air by contacting said air with an absorptive material impregnatedwith said solution, said composite extractive having been prepared bytreating forest soil directly with an extractant selected from the groupconsisting of low boiling alcohol, ketone and hydrocarbon extractantsand without subsequent modification.

'7. A method for freshening indoor vitiated air which comprisesdispersing a solution containing a composite extractive of forest soilinto air by contacting said air with a wick partially immersed in saidsolution, said composite extractive having been prepared by treatingforest soil directly with an extractant selected from the groupconsisting of low boiling alcohol, ketone and hydrocarbon extractantsand without subsequent modification.

8. A method for freshening indoor vitiated air which comprisescontacting air circulating in an air conditioning system with acomposition containing a composite extractive of forest soil, saidalcohol, ketone and hydrocarbon extractants and without subsequentmodification.

9. A method for freshening indoor vitiated air which comprisescirculating air in an air conditioning system and dispersing into thecirculating air a composition containing a composite extractive offorest soil, said composite extractive having been prepared by treatingforest soil directly with an extractant selected from the groupconsisting of low boiling alcohol, ketone and hydrocarbon extractantsand without subsequent modification.

10. A method for freshening indoor vitiated air which comprisescirculating air in an air conditioning system and dispersing into thecirculating air a solution containing a composite extractive of forestsoil, said composite extractive having been prepared by treating forestsoil directly with an extractant selected from the group consisting oflow boiling alcohol, ketone and hydrocarbon extractants and withoutsubsequent modification.

11. A circulating medium in an air conditioning system comprising airhaving dispersed therein a composition containing a composite extractiveof forest soil, said composite extractive having been prepared bytreating forest soil directly with an extractant selected from the groupconsisting of low boiling alcohol, ketone and hydrocarbon extractantsand without subsequent modification.

12. A circulating medium in an air conditioning system comprising airhaving dispersed therein a, solution containing a composite ex-'tractive of forest soil, said composite extractive having been preparedby treating forest soil directly with an extractant selected from thegroup consisting of low boiling alcohol, ketone and hydrocarbonextractants and. without subsequent modification.

13. A composition of matter for freshening indoor vitiated aircomprising a composite extractive of forest soil, said compositeextractive having been prepared by treating forest soil directly With anextractant selected from the group consisting of low boiling alcohol,ketone and hydrocarbon extractants and without subsequent modification.

14. A composition of matter for freshening in- REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

OTHER REFERENCES Beckley, J. Agr. Sci., vol. 11, pages 668 (1921) thruChemical Abstracts, vol. 13 (1921), page 1775.

du Bellay et al., Compt. rend, vol. 170, pages 236-8 (1920), thruChemical Abstracts, vol. 14, page 3467 (1920) U. Soringer, Bodenkunde'u. Pflanzenernahn, vol. 32, pages 129-46 (1943), thru ChemicalAbstracts, vol. 38 (1944) page 6454.

Hagers, I-Iandbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, vol- I, 1925, J,Springer, Berlin, page 610.

14. A COMPOSITION OF MATTER FOR FRESHENING INDOOR VITATED AIR COMPRISINGA SOLUTION CONTAINING A COMPOSITE EXTRACTIVE OF FOREST SOIL, SAIDCOMPOSITION EXTRACTIVE HAVING BEEN PREPARED BY TREATING FOREST SOILDIRECTLY WITH AN EXTRACTANT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LOWBOILING ALCOHOL, KETONE AND HYDROCARBON EXTRACTANTS AND WITHOUTSUBSEQUENT MODIFICATION.